Using a co-writing, participation-by-design approach applied to a case study methodology, this article highlights some experiences in education during the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in focal purpose, hierarchy of leadership, engagement between teachers and school leaders and homes focussed on student learning and achievement as well as student and family well-being, professional learning communities and communication strategies were all observed. Setting the educational environment within the bioecological system of Bronfenbrenner identified how issues in the external environment were addressed by educators at the onset of the pandemic. The innovative method, a joint academic-practitioner approach, using the strengths of each, to reflect all voices in authentic, human-centred, relationship identified a shared learning community that problem-solved together.